Dhenkanal: In yet another case of wild animal attack in the State, an elderly man sustained critical injuries after being mauled by an Indian sloth bear in Dansanali village under Kankadahad police limits in Dhenkanal district on Friday evening.
The victim has been identified as Raghunath Hembram of the same village.
As per the report, Raghunath had taken his herd of goats to graze to a pasture located on the outskirts of the village and was en-route to home when the predator struck. An Indian sloth bear which had sneaked into the locality in search of food pounced on him and mauled badly.
Family members rescued the victim in a critical condition later in the night and rushed to Kamakhyanagar hospital for treatment.
Forest officials have rushed to the spot post the incident to take stock of the situation.
Prasanta Patnaik